Can-making machine



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. W. SLEEPER.

CAN MAKING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

WITNESSES INVEN'FEJS rfl a I 94% Ly. 3w W WW6 62m ANDREW BGRKHAM. FHOTD-LITHO. WASHINGTON RC.

(No Model.) "5 Sheet s-Sh eet 2.

O. W. SLEEPER. CAN MAKING MACHINE. No. 552,336. Patented'Dec. 31, 1895.

WITNSSSSS INVENTEIF INDRIW IBRAIIAM. P m-UYNQ WA NINGWN. DC.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' 0. W. SLEEPER.

CAN MAKING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTO-LUNG WASNINGTDILIIC.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets Sheet 4. U. W. SLEEPER. CAN MAKING MACHINE.

No. 552,336. Patented Dec. 31, 1 895.

|NVENTDFP WITNESSES ANDREW B.GRAHAM. PHOTOIUTHQWASNINGYOND C. I

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

- G. W. SLEEPER.

CAN MAKING MACHINE.

Patented Deb. 31, 1895.

INVE: NT'IIIR 91am www- AZ A; tel/L7- e ekmd/w v WITNESSES ANDREW B.cRAHAM.PMOf0-Lnn0 wksmncmu Dc Unit-En TATES- 1 A NT ,FFICE.

CHARLES IV. SLEEPER, OF LANCASTER, NEWV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SLEEPER MACHINE COMPANY, OF MAINE.

CAN-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,336, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed July 1 2, 1 894.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES W. SLEEPER, of Lancaster, in the county of Coos and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can Making Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. I

My invention'relates to improvements in mechanisms for heading cans and it consists in certain new and improved mechanisms added to or combined with machines for which Letters Patent'of the United States were granted to 'me October 8, 1889, No. 412,552, and May 10, 1892, No. 474,534, the object being to improvethe mechanisms described in the above patents in relation to mechanisms for holding and placing the canheads, for gripping the body of the can and holding and shaping it while the head is being placed in position, and also to add to the machine appliances by which the crimping and fluxing of the cans is effected. These objects I attain by means of the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the outside of one of the chucks or holders for hold ing and applying the can-head to the can. Fig. 2 shows in elevation the inside of one of the chucks. Fig. 3 shows in elevation one of the chucks, a can-head, and body of can, also showing parts of the mechanism used in placing the can head upon the can-body. Fig. 4 shows the same parts in the position that they occupy when the act of placing the can-head is about completed. Fig. 5 is a view showing a part of the can-body and the canhead in side elevation, the chuck in vertical section, and connected parts of the mechanism in elevation. Fig. 6 shows in side elevation of the machine parts that relate to the holding and placing of the can-head upon the body and also the parts that relate to holding and gripping the body and to manipulating the same in the process of placing the can-head upon the body. In this view parts that are shown in detail in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are shown in connection with the more im- Serial No. 617,289. (No model.)

mediate devices for transmitting motion to them. Fig. 7 shows in end elevation of the machine the same parts that are shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detailof parts grouped in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 shows in side elevation of the machine the partsmore immediately connected with the process of crimping the can-head to the body and also the fiuXing device; Figs. 10 and 11, detail views, enlarged, of one of the parts shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 shows in end elevation of the-machine the parts shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. Figs. 13 and 14 are illustrations to show more clearly some of the mechanism for crimping grouped in Figs. 9 and 12.

In the above-described drawings I have shown such parts only as are new or directly connected with the new parts. The parts not fully shown in these drawings are shown in the specifications of the patents above referred to.

I will now describe the parts. that relate to the placing of the can-head upon the body, reference being had to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '7, and 8.

For convenience of reference I will designate the part d as the chuck cl. The function of this chuck is to receive and place the can-head upon the body of the can. The chuck that I now use is adapted to hold the can-head by magnetic attraction and may be constructed and arranged in a great variety of ways. For instance, the chuck itself may be a magnet itself, either permanent or electro, or it may be made of non-magnetic material and have connected to it a device capable of exerting sufficient magnetic attraction to safely hold the can-head.

To illustrate one method of putting the invention in practice, I use the following described means: The chuck d and lining (i are made of non-magnetic material-brass, for instance-and said lining is provided with a flange or arm for the edge of the can-head to rest against. A permanent magnet m, placed upon the side opposite the lining d and held in place by a bar 3, which rests upon the ma net m and is yieldingly held by two screws m m. and springs m m The ends or poles of the magnet on rest upon two irons or steel buttons m m which pass through chuck (Z and project through the lining (Z about onesixteenth of an inch. (See Fig. 5.) The buttons m m" become magnetized and act as poles of magnet m. Can-heads, being usually made of iron or steel plates coated with tin, are susceptible to the influence of the magnet, and when pushed into the chuck they strike the buttons m m and act as armatures to the magnet on and are held securely in place by its attraction while the chuck (Z moves from a horizontal position, Figs. 6 and 7, to a vertical position. (See Figs. 3, 4, and The buttons m 172. also serve to spring the head m", as shown in Fig. 5, (which is a side view of Fig. 3 with chuck and lining shown in section on line .90 9a,) in which position it will be noticed that the head m embraces considerably more than one half the end of body 1 within its flange. \Vhen the head is finally forced upon the body by action of thecamrods (Z the resistance of spring m is vercome and the buttons forced back even with lining of chuck.

The action of the chucks (Z in placing the can-head onto the can-body by the aid of the arms 2 and guards f is fully described in specification of Patent No. 474,534, above referred to, and may be stated as follows: The chucks (Z (Z being in a horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the heads are then inserted into the chucks with their lower edges resting upon the rim of the lining d. The conveyor chain carries the can-body above the chucks (Z (Z and under one of the swinging arms 2, Figs. 3, 4: and 5, which holds the can in position, the grippers n n (more particularly described later on) descend and press the body to elliptical form. The shield f descends. (See Fig. 5.) The chuck (Z is then raised by the carrier (Z and arm (Z turning upon its trunnions as it rises. The flange of the head strikes the lower part of the body 1 and rests against the shield f, the latter preventing the head from entirely engaging with the edges of the body until it can do so uniformly and perfectly. As the chuck (Z continues to rise, the upper part of the body 1 resting against the arm 2, the slide (3 will then rise, permitting the grippers n n to gradually separate and thus allow the can-body to gradually assume a circular form and fit into the head.

For gripping the can-body to properly present it to the can-head I have the following described improved -meehanism. Referring to Figs. 5, (5, 7, and 8, n n are gripping-fingers pivoted within the slide 6 and provided with rollers n or. n is a stationary cam-plate, Figs. 7 and 8, having cam-bars n n pivoted to it- These cam-bars n n are represented as being braced apart by the locking-block n and as holding the gripping-fingers n n apart at their upper ends, so that their lower ends are compressing the can-body 1, as shown in Fig. 6. The locking-block n is attached to a rocking-shaft n and is swung in and out of position by means of the arm a and adjustable link M, which in turn is operated by the mechanism attached to the chuck (Z, the rising of the chuck-carrier (Z striking against the lower end of the link 7L7, raising the arm n and causing the release of the block at" from the plate n (See dotted lines, Fig. 7.)

In operation the slide 6 upon which the gripping-fingers n 'n are pivoted is made (by suitable mechanism) to descend, taking with it the grippingfingers n n, and as their rollers n n come in contact with the shoulders on the lower ends of the cam-bars a n their upper ends will be moved away from each other and their lower ends will be made to grip the can-body, as shown in Fig. 6, and compress it so as to receive the can-head, as illustrated in Fig. 5 and by dotted lines in Fig. 7. The cam-bars n n are allowed to come together and release the can-body from the fingers n n at the proper time by the withdrawal of the locking-block or. After this action has taken place the slide 6 is drawn up, taking with it the grippingfingers n n. The can-body hav ing received its head as above is carried forward to the crimping mechanism. (See Figs. 9, 1.0, 11, 12, 13, and 1a.)

The mechanism for crimping is added to one end of the machine and is supported by standards 1) 19 attached to the frame A A. These standards are provided with hubs which support the spindles p 19 Upon the inner ends of the spindles disks 1)" p are at tached, and to their outer ends drivin g-pulleys p 19 by means of which the can (being crimped) is rotated. The can. rests upon rollers p p turning freely upon two studs which pass through vertical. slots made in the stan dardsp p and secured by nuts. Two standards 1) 1) attached to the frame A A support the guides 19 p and inclined ways 19 p for the cans to roll on as they leave the crimping mechanism in the passage to the fluxing device. The floor of said ways terminates far enough back of a perpendicular line drawn through the center of the roller, so that the cans will drop upon the roller with their centers of gravity back of said perpendicularline to prevent the cans from falling off the roller until they are fluxed. For directing the cans toward the crimping mechanism I have guides 13 Fig. 9. Can-holding pieces p p are attached to the guides 11 p (See Figs. 9 and 13.) A grooved collar 1), Fig. 12, is attached to the shaft 19 and has a yoke p fitted to it. The yoke p is connected to a shipper-lever 19 pivoted to a fixed part of the frame of the machine. The shipper-lever p is moved back and forth through intermediate mechanism by a cam-rod p operated by suitable mechanism connected to the main shaft of the machine. This can1-rod p operates a bell-crank lever 13", to which it is pivoted, which in turn operates the link p connected to the shipper-lever p by nuts and a in motion by the disks.

spring 19 The above-described parts serve to operate the disk 19* attached to the shaft 13 by the movement of which the can is held or released.

For raising and lowering the crimping-rolls 19 19 I have the following apparatus: 19 is an adjustable link attached at its lower end to the cam-rod p and at its upper end to the lever p The lever 19 actuates a pin 19 which connects with the swinging frame 13 (see Figs. 12, 9, 10 and 11,) in which the crimping-rolls p p are hung. A spring 9 serves to draw the frame 19 toward the lever 19 In operation the chain a which has an intermittent motion brings the can 1 from holding mechanism and, carrying it between the guides p 19 places it between the disks 1& p, where it rests upon the flat rolls p p and is supported by the guides 19 13 At this instant the spindle p is moved by the can and train of levers so as to approach and grasp the can 1 between the disks p 13, and as the spindles p p are driven by suitable belts over the pulleys p 19 the can is made to revolve as soon as grasped by the disks. The upward motion of rod 13, acting through the connecting-rod 19 and lever 19*, causes the frame p to descend and press the rolls 11 19 down upon the can, the rollers being adjusted to strike the flanges of the can-heads so as to spin them .down and press them tightly upon the can-body. The rollers 10 19 are so set as to prevent the can from being thrown out from between the disks by the pressure of rollers 19 To insure crimping the heads uniformly, I have provided adjustable stops p for the adjusting-screws p to rest upon, the connection 19 being adjusted to press the frame 19 firmly down upon the stops. The object of spring 1)" is to provide for variation in the length of cans and give a uniform pressure upon all. lVhile spring 19 is being compressed the rollers 19 continue to descend but do not touch the can-heads until the can is set After the can is crimped the spindle 19 moves back, the frame 1) raises, the chain a moves forward, and the can is thrown upon the ledges p of guides 10 and is delivered to the fiuxing device.

The fiuxing is effected by the following means: The can drops upon the two wheels 1 which are driven by a belt from the main shaft of the machine and secured to a shaft p j ournaled in the arms 13 13 p is a pan filled with liquid flux in which the wheels revolve and have their circumferences continually wetted. The motion of the wheels causes the can resting upon them to revolve, and

this applies the flux to the can, the wheels being so placed as to support the can close to each head. The can continues to revolve until another can falls upon it, when. the friction of the second can stops the revolution of the first, which is rolled out by the wheels, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 9, and drops into a rollway composed of a number of pieces 19 which support four wire'rods 19 19 the can being supported by rods p and guided by rods 19 I claim 1. In a can heading machine, a magnetized heading chuck substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a can heading machine the combination of a heading chuck and permanent magnet adapted to hold the can head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a can-heading machine the combination of a chuck and a yieldingly connected permanent magnet, with buttons adapted to operate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1. In a can heading machine, the combination of achuck and yielding buttons arranged to operate substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a can heading machine, the pivoted heading chuck d furnished with yielding buttons m in combination with the movable shield f, gripping fingers n and operating mechanisms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a can heading machine, the combination of the gripping fingers a n pivoted to the slide 6 and having rollers n n; with the slide 6 cam bars 11 n lock-block n and operatin g mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'7. In a can-heading machine, the combination of the holding disks 19 19 spindles p p and shipping lever p connected with the spindle p bell crank lever 19 means connected with said lever for operating the same, and the link 19 pivoted to said lever 19 and loosely connected with the lever 19, all combined and adapted to operate substantially as described.

8. In a can-heading machine, the combination of the holding disks 1& p spindles p 19 and shipping lever 19 connected with the spindle p bell crank lever p the link 19 pivoted to said lever 19 and loosely connected with the lever 19, frame 19, rollers 19 19 supported upon said frame, lever 13 having one arm connected with the frame p, the link 19 connecting the other arm of said lever with the lever p and means for operating said lever, all combined and adapted to operate substantially as described.

9. In a can heading machine the combination of one or more fluxing rollers revolving upon a common axis with a steeply inclined same and said guide While being rotated by Contact with the rollers anclbe afterward forced over said rollers by another can dropping down said guide behind it, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name To this specification, in. the presenee of two subscribing Witnesses, 011 this 18th day clay of May, A. D. 1891.

CHAS. XV. SLEEPER. \Vitnesses:

II. DE F. YOUNG, NM. T. JONES. 

